Automatic film unit advertising device



Aug. 27; 1935. H. ERICKSON ET AL 2,012,501

AUTOMATIC FILM UNIT ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed Jan. 25. 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TORS BY ATTORNEY Aug. 27, 1935. H. ERICKSON ET AL 2,012,501

AUTOMATIC FILM UNIT ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed Jan. 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS TTORNEY Patented Aug. 27, 1 935 UNITED STATES AUTOMATIC FILM UNIT ADVERTISING p DEVICE,

Henry L. Erickson and Paul N. Moody,

Youngstown; Ohio Applicationdanuary 25, 1935, Serial N 3,454 i Claims. (01. see- 2 This invention relates to. film advertising devices.

The principal object of this invention is to.-provide a device using a plurality of film units automatically brought before a reflector inorder to reflect film unit pictures or descriptive zmatter upon a screen. i I

A further object of the invention is to provide a shutter means for showing a. day time adver- 1 tisement. i I A further object of the invention is "to provide a film unit container and means forautomatically moving the film units before :a reflector. i A still further object is to provide meansrfor automatically returningthe ifilm units :to .theffilm unit container in order that the-picturesarmay be continued upon the screen. r a 1 1 Many devices have *been'constructedior toutdoor' advertising such as bill-boards and lneon sentence signs in ordertoiattract the attention of (those;

passing the sign. It is thepurpose of this invention to provide a means for reflecting'pictures. or descriptive matter lupon ascreen :in' OI GGI'ItO more. effectively call the attention iof those passing the 5.1. advertisement. With the foregoing and other objects View which'will appear as the description-proceeds, the. invention resides inthe combination {and arrange-1 ment of parts and in the detailsof-construction 3' hereinafter described and claimed, it: being understood that changes -in "the precise embodiment of the invention her'eimdisclosed, can be made within the scopeof what is c'la'imed without departing from the spirit of the invention. 1

5 The invention is illustrated *in the accompanying drawings, wherein:-- 3 A Figure 1 isa top plan viewof the *device. Figurez is a sectional view t'aken on'line 2- 2 of Figure 1. I

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail of a portion of Figure 2 showing the filmunit movement-meow anism.

Figure 4is a verticalend viewojf Figure 3*jwith parts broken away and partly in sectionin' order to more clearlyshow the film; unitmovement mechanism. g 1

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail of Figure 3 showing a film unit container a'ndguiding means for returning the film to-the film unit container. Figure 6 is'a cross section gtakenion line 6'6' ofwFigure 3.- I v I g :Figure 7 is across section taken on line -'|-'l;of Fi ure'3." I I Figure 8 is::aperspective view ofafllm units Figure 9 is across section taken on line 8-9 of,Figure 8.

By referring to the drawings it will be seen that there is provided a cabinet 1 I suitably sup-. ported upon legs}. By referring to Figure 2 it 5i will be seen that the device is provided withia support member 3 for the purpose of supporting a film unit mechanism illustrated in Figures .3 and 4t Itwill beseen that there-is provided a lens 4 through which the picture is projected 10 upon an inclined reflector 5 which throws the; picture upon a screen 6. By referring to Figure lit willbe seen that this screen 6 maybe covered. byahinged advertising bill-board 1 in order thatthe-device may show an ordinary bill-board dur- "t ing the day time when the pictures are not being run.

By referring to Figures 3 and 4 it will bese en; that the support member 3 isfitted with ahead portion 8 carrying a shaft 9 which may be revolved 25 by any suitable means by makingattachmentto an .extremegouter end IU of the shaft :9. This shaft Qcarriesa free running drum H and .near the opposite end I2 of theshaft 9 there is keyed a master gear l3. It will be seenthatther'eis provideda plurality ofcoil springs l4, one end of each 1of which is attached to the interior of the free running drum H while the other endstare attached to the master gear I 3. The purpose of these will be more clearly brought out as :the description proceeds. It will also be seen that the free running drum. i l carries oppositely disposed filmunit tracks .I 5 provided with bridge members I6. It will also beseen'that there is providedia; film unit clutch guide member I]. This film unit clutchguide member I] is provided with a curved inner channel 18 so thatfilm units. l9. may be clutchedby means of tapered clutchmembersill. These tapered clutch members 20 are carried upon slidable pins 2|, each having a head 22 traveling in the curved innerchannel [8. The curvature in the channel :l8 curves at each end of the film unit clutch guide member .l.! where the same clutches outwardly. "Figure 6 shows one of. the tapered clutch members 20 in an extended clutched position, and Figure 7show's one df"the taperedclutch members 23 ina released position.

By means oitension coil springs 23, the tapered clutch members 20 are held in a re'leasedposition until they contact the curved inner channel I8 5 onthe film un itclutchguid member [1.

' By rererring to Figures 8 and 9 it will alsohe seen that the film unit I9 is provided with a flexible frame memberidr .Byreferring to Figure '3. it will be seen that there is provided a film unit :1

held'under tension 75 container which is positioned in an inclined manner and supported by a support means 26. There is attached to this film unit container 25 a bracket support member 21 carrying a feed roll 28.

In the operation of the device the shaft 9 is caused to revolve. This in turn revolves the master gear. l3 which in turn engages a gear 29 carried upon a shaft 30. This shaft 30 carries a drive gear 3| which will move in a clockwise direction when the master gear I3 is rotated in an anti-clockwise direction. By referring to Figures 3 and 5 it will be seen that the drive gear 3| engages an idle gear 32 which is caused to revolve in an anti-clockwise direction. This idle gear 32 is carried upon a shaft 33. The other end of the shaft 33 carries a bevel gear 34 which in turn functions with a bevel gear 35 which is carried upon a shaft 36, supported by a bracket attached to the film unit container 25. It will be seen that theother end of the shaft 36 is provided with a bevel gear 3'! which functions with a bevel gear 38 carriedupon a shaft 39. This shaft 39 is also provided with a bevel gear which in turn functions with a bevel gear 4| positioned upon a crank shaft 42; I

*By' again referring to Figure 3 it will be seen thatwhen the oppositely disposed film unit tracks 15 are caused to move in an anti-clockwise direc-' tion, the crank shaft 42 moves a pair of oppositely disposed crank arms 43. By referring to Figure 5it will be seen that the lower ends 44 of the oppositely disposed crank arms 43 are attached in'a pivoted manner to a film unit feed member 45 which is slideably maintained at the bottom of the'film unit container 25. It-will be seen that this film unit feed member 45 is provided with an upturned edge 45 so'that as the same is caused to slide underneath the bottom filmunit l9, the film unit is carried out and an outer end of the same is caught by the feed roll 28. This film unit is now clutched as above described by means of the tapered clutch members 20. When the film unit iscarried to an extreme upper end 41 of the film unit clutch guide member [-1, the film unit lfislides'in guide members 48 where the same is caused to pass between driven rolls 50 and 52 and idler rolls 49 and 5|, where the same is guided into thefilm unit container 25-by means of a uide'53.

Of course, while the operation just given gives the movement of a single film unit, all of these film units l9 are carried in front of alight 54 and back of the lens 4. It is understood that the device'must cause the film to momentarily stop before the lens 4, and then the movement away from the lens must take place when a shutter 55, carried upon the shaft 39 actuated by means of the bevel gear 38 secured to the outer end of the shaft 39; is closed.

It will be seen by referring to Figures 3 and 4 that there is provided a plurality 'of pins 55 spaced apart and positioned near the outer circumference on the oppositely disposed film unit tracks l5. It will also be seen that there is provided a cam controlled arm 51 hinged by means of a pivot 58, its upper end actuated by means of a cam BOpositioned upon the shaft 39.- This cam controlled arm 5? is provided with a lug 58 which contacts the pins 53in order to stop and release theoppositely disposed film unit tracks sothat the film units will momentarily stop in front ofjthe lens 4. This cam controlled arm 51 is by means of a compression spring Bl.

It is obvious that each of these moving parts must be timed so as to perform these functions without stopping the continued movement of the master gear I3. It is also pointed out that the film container 25 is placed on an incline so that the taking out and putting in of the film units [9 may be more easily accomplished.

What we claim is:-

1. In a device of the class described comprising a casing, a reflector within said casing, a screen in front of said reflector, a plurality of film units, a container for holding said film units, a projection lens, means for moving said film units back of said projection lens, means for removing one at a time of said film units, means for m0- mentarily stopping a film unit when back of said lens, said means comprising a master gear, a free running drum functioning with said master gear,

coil springs functioning between said free running drum and said master gear, a plurality of pins on said free running drum, a cam controlled arm, a compression spring holding said cam controlled arm under tension, a lug on said cam controlled arm functioning with said plurality of pins on said drum, means for returning said film units to said film container, a hinged covering for said screen for the purpose of displaying a sign when film units are not being shown.

2. In a device of the class described comprising a casing, a reflector within said casing, a screen in front of said reflector, a hinged covering for said screen for the purpose of displaying a sign when film units are not being shown, a plurality of film units, a containerfor holding saidfilm units, a projection lens, means for moving said film units back of said projection lens, said means comprising a drive shaft, a master gear mounted on said shaft, a free running drum functioning with said master gear, tapered clutch members mounted on said drum, a film unit clutch guide member, a curved inner channel in said .film unit clutch guide member, a film unit feed member positioned on the bottom of said film unit container, and a feed roll, said tapered clutch members clutching said film units as they pass under said feed roll after leaving the film unit container and carrying them past the pro-, jection lens, means for momentarily stopping a film unit whenback of said lens, and means for returning said film unit to said film container.

3. In a device of the class described comprising a casing, a reflector within said casing, a screen in front of said reflector, a plurality of film units, a container for holding said film units, a projection lens, a drive shaft, a master gear mounted on said shaft, a free running drum functioning with said master gear, tapered clutch members mounted on saiddrum, a film unit clutch guide member, a curved inner channel in said film unit clutch guide member, a film unit feed member positioned at the bottom of said film unit container, a feed 'roll, said tapered clutch members clutching said film units as they pass under said feed'roll after leaving the film unit container and carrying them, past the projection lens, coil springs functioning between said free running drum and said master gear, a plurality of pins on said free running drum, a cam controlled arm, a compression spring holding said cam controlled arm under tension, a lug on said cam controlled arm functioning with said plurality of pins on said drum for the purpose of momentarily stopping a-film unitwhen back of said lens, means for returning said film units to said film container,-a hinged. covering for said screen for the pur- 75 pose of displaying a sign when film units are not being shown.

4; In a device of the class described comprising a casing, a reflector within said casing, a screen i in front of said reflector, a plurality of film units,

a container for holding said film units, a projection lens, a drive shaft, a master gear mounted on said shaft, a free running drum functioning with said master gear, tapered clutch members mounted on said drum, a film unit clutch guide member, a curved inner channel in said film unit clutch guide member, a film unit feed member positioned at the bottom of said film unit container, a feed roll, said tapered clutch members clutching said film units as they pass under said feed roll after leaving the film unit container and carrying them past the projection lens, coil springs functioning between said free running drum and saidmaster gear, a plurality of pins on said free running drum, a cam controlled arm, a compression spring holding said cam controlled arm under tension, a lug on said cam controlled arm functioning with said plurality of pins on said drum for the purpose of momentarily stopping a film unit when back of said lens, guide members at extreme upper .end of said film unit clutch guide members for the purpose of receiving released film units, driven and idler rolls conveying said film units into said film unit container, and a guide for directing said film units into said film unit container, a hinged covering for said screen for the purpose of displaying a sign when film units are not being shown.

positioned at the bottom of said film unit container, a feed roll, said tapered clutch members clutching said film units as they pass under said feed roll after leaving the film unit container and carrying them past the projection lens, coil springs functioning between said free running drum and said master gear, a plurality of pins on said free running drum, a cam controlled arm, a. compression spring holding said cam controlled arm under tension, a lug on said cam controlled arm functioning with said plurality of pins on said drum for the purpose of momentarily stopping a film unit when back of said lens, guide members at extreme upperend of said film unit clutch guide members for the purpose of receiving released film units, rolls conveying said film units into said film unit container, and a guide for directing said film units into said film unit container.

HENRY L. ERICKSON. PAUL N. MOODY. 

